Lorenzoni, Zaia's former challenger: "The right is frayed. With Manildo, the center-left can win in Veneto."

On paper, it's a losing battle. "But in reality, we're in the second half of the game," says Arturo Lorenzoni. "I played the first, the most difficult one: against Zaia at the height of his popularity, in the midst of a pandemic." Now, however, the Veneto center-left is focusing on Giovanni Manildo, former mayor of Treviso. "A person of great depth," the opposition spokesman outlined the passing of the baton. " Manildo is a person of quality and administrative experience, capable of uniting all progressive forces. To defeat the right where no one believes it is possible, you need a very broad field ." PD, M5S, AVS. For now, no Azione and Italia Viva. "But you'll see, they'll be there too. The choice fell on Manildo precisely for his ability to synthesise and broaden the base of consensus. The predictions are well known, but be careful: Zaia's electorate is closer to us than you might think. And on the right, there's a shaky alliance. We can start a new era."

Call it the outsider's carelessness. Lorenzoni, who lost everything in 2020, makes it clear that the center-left has nothing left to lose. With another candidate with a university background, a blend of civic-mindedness and Democratic Party support, already capable of beating La Liga in a symbolic provincial capital. He's also from Conegliano, like Zaia. Do you really believe in the feat? "There are pessimists; many prefer to give up right from the start," the councilor admits. "But certainly not us, who are putting our face on the line. And after so much procrastination, from today we must get ahead of our opponents." They still don't have a name to present at the polls. "Whoever governs has a popularity advantage: it will take time to convince the electorate that Manildo represents the best choice for the Veneto."

In recent months, Lorenzoni had repeatedly acted as a sentinel, accusing the progressive camp of reticence, wait-and-see attitude, and lack of enthusiasm. As if the candidate's role were a hot potato, as if the region were in any case impregnable—it probably is, but in politics it would be a mortal sin to admit it. "It hasn't been an easy period," he explained to Il Foglio. "So many positions to negotiate, certainly a blanket of inevitability we must constantly fight against. Those who remained on board, however, are convinced: without Zaia, there are no more fields left." Yet the League, first and foremost, refuses to even recognize Manildo and his associates as opposition: they say the opponents they must defeat are Flavio Tosi and Forza Italia, now in total disarray. "The usual provocation from Zaia," Lorenzoni smiles. "But the fact that there's a problem in their coalition, with Tosi firing off endless lies, is a given. And we can take advantage of it." The Northern League is also a real conundrum. “I speak with certain League colleagues every day: their sensibilities are very similar to ours. So I struggle to see it aligned with the Meloni bloc.” Or the Vannacci wing. “But that's right. They have nothing to do with it. The thorns will soon come to a head.” As will the name of Zaia's heir. “It's all a game of chance that will be decided in Rome. Sad but true: these delays demonstrate that the future of Veneto is subordinated to the majority's Cencelli handbook. It's hard to say how it will end. Is the League willing to run alone? Maybe. What's certain, however, is that Zaia's popularity is still such that it won't go to waste.”

The former challenger acknowledges the Doge's merits. "He's a master of communication. He's always been able to convey a sense of security to citizens, regardless of the content. Because while these three terms have given the region a virtuous structure from an accounting standpoint, politically we're in the grip of immobility." And this is where the center-left can make a breakthrough, Lorenzoni insists. " They may be hiding behind the Olympics, but Veneto needs administrative initiative: if large companies and high-tech decide to invest elsewhere—see Intel's setback in Vigasio—it's certainly not out of fatalism. Something is missing . And Giovanni Manildo can address it: quality of work, healthcare, the environment. Even differentiated autonomy, of course: it shouldn't be a right-wing prerogative. More than Veneto's centralism or the bosses at home , we need real accountability for the regions." Full speed ahead, then. Without party labels, which are extremely damaging to the center-left. "From Padua to Verona, civic-mindedness has proven crucial in defeating the right. It's difficult to replicate this approach on a regional scale, but," Lorenzoni concludes, "we're working on it: we have a pool of young administrators who can change the tide."

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